Philip George Schlatterer

Columbia Police Dept. — Columbia, SC

Felonious Veteran

End of Watch July 25, 1974

Age 54

Tour of Duty 22 yrs

The Vigil Panel 114 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 9

Incident

Lieutenant Philip Schlatterer was shot and killed while attempting to question two subjects about a shooting incident earlier in the evening. As he approached the men on Gervais Street, between Millwood Street and Harden Street, at approximately 1:00 am., one of them pulled out a sawed-off shotgun concealed in his pants and shot Lieutenant Schlatterer in the chest, killing him instantly. Unbeknownst to Lieutenant Schlatterer, the suspect had also murdered three people in the preceding 24-hour period. The suspect fled with Lieutenant Schlatterer's service weapon. The shooter was shot and killed later in the morning by other officers, and the second suspect was apprehended with Lieutenant Schlatterer's service weapon. Lieutenant Schlatterer was a United States Army WWII veteran and had served with the Columbia Police Department for 22 years. He was survived by his wife, two daughters, a sister, two brothers, and two grandchildren. On July 25th, 2005, the section of the street on which Lieutenant Schlatterer was killed was renamed in his honor.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife, two daughters, a sister, two brothers, and two grandchildren.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-SC-FEF5219F
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: April 2, 2026
Last updated: July 23, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Lieutenant Schlatterer gave the Columbia Police Department 22 years.
Thank you for your service to the Columbia community, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department Columbia Police Dept.

Location Columbia, SC

Platform Identity cpd.richland.sc.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch July 25, 1974

Tour of Duty 22 yrs

Age 54

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Shotgun

Offender Shot and killed

Military Service

Philip George Schlatterer served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.

Lieutenant Philip George Schlatterer is one of 17,623 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 54.2% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In SC, 271 of 438 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 61.9% of this state's fallen. That is 7.7 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

At Columbia Police Dept., 5 of 10 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 50% of this agency's fallen.

Columbia Police Dept.

of 10 officers

50% Felonious

SC — Statewide

271

of 438 officers

61.9% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious